The Woman in White (Collins Classics) - Softcover

Collins, Wilkie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007902212 ISBN 13: 9780007902217

Publisher: William Collins, 2011

Synopsis

HarperCollins is proud to present its range of best-loved, essential classics.

‘The woman who first gives life, light, and form to our shadowy conceptions of beauty, fills a void in our spiritual nature that has remained unknown to us till she appeared.’

One of the earliest works of ‘detective’ fiction with a narrative woven together from multiple characters, Wilkie Collins partly based his infamous novel on a real-life eighteenth century case of abduction and wrongful imprisonment. In 1859, the story caused a sensation with its readers, hooking their attention with the ghostly first scene where the mysterious ‘Woman in White’ Anne Catherick comes across Walter Hartright. Chilling, suspenseful and tense in mood, the novel remains as emotive for its readers today as when it was first published.

About this title

Review:

For once I'm more than happy with this judicious abridgement of Collins's 1860 bestseller, which spawned a plethora of Disney-style merchandise - white shawls, fans, china ornaments etc - but frankly does go on a bit. It was the first of the Victorian 'sensation' novels, a gothic thriller with a cast of OTT characters: aristocratic villains, cruel husbands, a dastardly Italian count, a handsome hero of low birth but high ideals, a heroine with, wait for it, a moustache, and of course the mysterious woman in white on the loose from a lunatic asylum, who - no, I shan't give anything away. The epistolary style - it has 10 narrators - is custom-built for audio. --Sue Arnold, The Guardian

Written in 1859, this classic mystery is perfect for audio. Impoverished art teacher Walter Hartright accepts a position to teach at a country house and finds himself involved in a sinister plot to relieve heiress Laura Fairlie of her wealth and her sanity. The tireless efforts of stalwart Hartright and Laura s half sister, Marian Holcombe, help save the day. Each of 11 characters, easily identified in a handy cast list, tells his or her story, offering individual perspectives on people and events. The seasoned British actors in this full-cast production play the suspense and emotion to the hilt. Particularly fine are Rachel Bavidge as Marian Holcombe, a warmhearted woman of vast intelligence but no beauty, and Allan Corduner as Fosco, whose mask of geniality hides his true menace. Although it takes a while to fall into the story, this is an excellent rendition of a classic tale, old-fashioned storytelling at its best. --Joyce Saricks, Booklist

Book Description:

'The most popular novel of the nineteenth century, and still one of the best plots in English literature' Sarah Waters

About this edition

• Publisher: William Collins
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0007902212
• ISBN 13: 9780007902217
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 728